Half-Day Workshop June 16 Well Attended – Application Templates Sent to Members

New Members-Only Section – Available Soon!

Watch for our new members-only section – coming to this site soon! As MI-CNS members in good standing, you will be able to access content at no extra cost. Stay tuned for more information.

Michigan Nurse Honored as Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year

On February 28, 2018, Michigan’s very own Kathleen Vollman was named CNS of the Year by NACNS!

Austin, Texas – National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) today presented its prestigious Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) of the Year Award to Kathleen Vollman, MSN, RN, CCNS, FCCM, FAAN, Acute and Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, President of ADVANCING NURSING LLC and adjunct faculty member for Michigan State University’s Clinical Nurse Specialist Graduate Program.The CNS of the Year Award recognizes an NACNS member for outstanding professional achievement in all aspects of CNS practice. It is presented each year to a nurse who demonstrates CNS competencies and exemplary practice in patient care, nursing and health care delivery systems.

“It is our great honor to present the CNS of the Year Award to Kathleen Vollman,” said NACNS 2017 Board President Vince Holly, MSN, RN, CCRN, CCNS, ACNS-BC. “Kathleen’s passion for the CNS role is well established. She was a founding member of NACNS, helped write the bylaws and served on the initial board of directors. Her commitment to the national and international presence of the CNS role has not wavered.”

Vollman is the president of the Michigan Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists and the affiliate’s work has resulted in title protection and scope of practice for clinical nurse specialists in Michigan.

Vollman has shaped the creation of academic clinical nurse specialist programs at California State University in Long Beach, Wayne State University and Michigan State University. She has conducted more than five hospital CNS redesigns to fit the NACNS model of the three spheres of influence. Vollman’s company, ADVANCING NURSING LLC, is focused on creating empowered work environments for nurses through the acquisition of greater skills and knowledge. She has published and lectured nationally and internationally on a variety of pulmonary, critical care, health acquired injuries prevention, sepsis recognition and management, CNS role and work culture. The Michigan Hospital Association and the Health Research Education Trust of the American Hospital Association considers Vollman a subject matter expert on the prevention of CAUTI, CLABSI, C-Diff and HAPI, sepsis recognition and management, and the culture of safety.

During her graduate studies she designed the “Vollman Prone Positioner”, a device used on mechanical ventilated critically ill patients that enabled patients to be safely positioned prone. The device was available in the health care market from 1997 to 2011. This intervention made the task of moving critical patients manageable for bedside nurses and saved countless lives. From 1989 to 2003, Vollman was the clinical nurse specialist for the medical intensive care units at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan where she focused on redesigning nursing work cultures with an emphasis on advocacy and preventing harm through implementation of evidence based fundamental nursing care practices.

Vollman earned her BSN from Wayne State University and her MSN from California State University, Long Beach’s Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Program. She is also the President of Sepsis Solutions International, LLC. She currently serves on the Eastern Michigan’s Graduate Advisory Board. She previously served on the University of Michigan Graduate Advisory Board and the Task Force for Nursing Practice with the Michigan Department of Community Health in East Lansing. In 2012, she was appointed to serve as an honorary ambassador to the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses and is currently the financial director for the association. She was inducted into College of Critical Care Medicine in 2004 and the American Academy of Nurses in 2009. In addition to NACNS, she is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American College of Chest Physicians, Society of Critical Care Medicine and International Learning Collaborative and is an international media expert in critical care and advanced practice nursing for Sigma Theta Tau.

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Founded in 1995, The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists is the only association representing the clinical nurse specialist (CNS). CNSs are advanced practice registered nurses who work in a variety of specialties to ensure high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centered care. As leaders in health care settings, CNSs provide direct patient care and lead initiatives to improve care and clinical outcomes, and reduce costs. NACNS is dedicated to advancing CNS practice and education, removing certification and regulatory barriers, and assuring the public access to quality CNS services.

Congratulations Kathleen!

News You Can Use….

On March 8, 2018, President Kathleen Vollman received notice that the Administrative rules have been files (promulgated). They are effective immediately, however, we have not received any word on the application process for CNS state certification. As soon as we have information, we will post the information.

As of November 9, 2017, the MI-BON approved the rules (addressing CNS Practice in Michigan and requirements for certification/recognition) and will continue to move through the process:

The rules go to the Regulatory Affairs Officer, who give them to the Office of Regulatory Reinvention, and then to the Legislative Service Bureau to certify the rules for form and arrangement. The rules will then go to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, and must be before JCAR for 15 session days. Then they are filed with the Office of the Great Seal.

Recording of March 20, 2017, Program at MSU

Please click on the link to view the recording of the meeting held March 20, 2017, at MSU, featuring Kathleen Vollman and Cathy Lewis. They present the latest information on Public Act 499 of 2016 and its implications for CNSs in Michigan!

On Monday, January 9, 2017, Governor Snyder signed HB 5400 which is now Public Act 499. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses now have the ability to provide expanded medical services to their patients. “Ensuring quality and efficiency in our medical system is important to the health and well-being of all Michiganders,” Snyder said. “This bill allows specialized nurses to provide a broader range of medical services, giving their patients the quality care they deserve.”

Public Act 499

Public Act 499 will be enacted into law 90 days following the Governor’s signature. The Michigan Board of Nursing (MBON) rules will have to be reopened in 2017 and revised to reflect the changes in law. Please note, in the meantime, statute (the Public Health Code) supersedes rule (MBON).

Summary of the revisions included in Public Act 499:

Recognizes Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) in the Michigan Public Health Code, allowing for specialty certification for their profession and adding a CNS seat to the MI Board of Nursing

Defines “advanced practice registered nurse” as a registered professional nurse who has been granted a certification in one of the specialty fields (nurse midwifery, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist)

Allows an A.P.R.N. to order, receive, and dispense a complementary starter dose drug without delegation from a physician, and, as a delegated act, order, receive, and dispense a complementary starter dose of a controlled substance

Allows an A.P.R.N. to make calls or go on rounds

Includes an A.P.R.N. in the definition of “prescriber” in the Public Health Code

Allows an A.P.R.N. to prescribe physical therapy, speech therapy and order restraints autonomously

Allows an A.P.R.N. to prescribe Schedule II-V drugs under delegation without restriction to setting or circumstance

Allows an A.P.R.N. to prescribe non-scheduled drugs autonomously

Includes a CNS among the designated professionals eligible for the State’s essential health provider loan repayment program

Increases the RN licensure fees from $30 per year to $60 per year, and increase the application processing fee from $24 to $75 new nurse graduates

MI-CNS will continue to support legislation that allows APRNs to practice to the fullest extent of their education, training and national certification in order to increase access to health care and reduce health care costs, and we look forward to working with legislators to accomplish this in the future.

MI-CNS Thanks Board Members for Service!

MI-CNS would like to extend heartfelt thanks to past Board of Directors members who have served as officers over the past few years. Marcia Hegstad, Mitzi Saunders, and Stephanie Schuldt – thank you for your dedication to advancing Clinical Nurse Specialists in the State of Michigan!

About MI-CNS

The Michigan Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (MI-CNS) was founded in June 2009, becoming an officially recognized affiliate of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) in September 2009. Members include practicing CNSs from across the State of Michigan and CNS students enrolled in programs around the State.